Thunderstorms Bring Power Failures, Damage

Severe thunderstorms and high winds pummeled northwestern Connecticut and the Middletown area Wednesday night, damaging some buildings, blowing over trees and causing thousands to lose power.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning at 6 p.m. for northern Litchfield County after a funnel cloud was reported near Pleasant Valley, N.Y.

In Middletown, 3,400 customers lost power because of a cable fault at a substation in Middletown, Northeast Utilities officials said.

Hail was reported in greater Waterbury and Cheshire.

High winds -- reported to Granby police as a "twister" -- ripped through the north end of that town Wednesday night, knocking down trees and power lines but causing no injuries, police said.

A woman who lives on Lost Acres Road reported the high winds about 7:30 p.m., said police, who did not identify her. The woman reported some damage to her barn.

Harold Stockman, of 138 Lost Acres Road, said he heard a roaring sound for about five seconds while watching television about 7:20 p.m.

"It sounded like a freight train going through," he said.

He said he went outside and saw that two large maple trees in front of his neighbor's house had been felled. Much of one side of his neighbor's barn roof was torn off, he said.

In north Granby, 330 electric customers were without power, said Emmanuel S. Forde, a spokesman for Northeast Utilities. In Milford, 300 lost power, and in Hartland, 80. There were scattered power failures in Barkhamsted, Canaan and Colebrook, he said. Many of those in northwestern Connecticut had power restored by 10 p.m., Forde said.

In Massachusetts, 1,300 customers lost power.

More than an inch of rain fell in some Litchfield County towns from the thunderstorms.

Mel Goldstein, director of the Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, said no tornadoes were reported in Connecticut, but a severe thunderstorm watch was declared in most parts of the state until 10 p.m. Wednesday.

As of 8 p.m., thunderstorms throughout the day had dumped 1.55 inches of rain in New Milford, nearly half the normal precipitation